Wilbourn and Wildscapes link up for countryside work

A host of regulations to protect rare species have been created in recent years which means building firms will be punished if they wreck rare habitats.

Two Yorkshire-based firms believe that commerce and nature can exist happily side by side. They have forged a partnership which should protect rare species and kick-start economic development in remote parts of Yorkshire.

Wilbourn Associates, a Sheffield-based firm of chartered environmental surveyors, has joined forces with local ecology and environmental consultancy Wildscapes to extend its services.

Wilbourn, which provides a range of environmental consultancy and commercial property services, has encountered strong demand from local authorities and developers looking for specialist advice on ecological matters.

The agreement will see Wilbourn Associates working in partnership with Sheffield-based Wildscapes to provide a range of ecology services, including surveys for species such as bats, great crested news, reptiles, water voles and otters.

Wildscapes also has expertise in offering BREEAM ecology assessments and clerk of works services, as well as submitting protected species license applications.

Wilbourn Associates chief executive Phillip Wilbourn said: “We are really pleased to be working with Wildscapes to enable us to further enhance our services to clients.

“This is part of our vision to become the first port of call for organisations seeking advice on environmental risk, energy performance and related property services.

“Our clients require a wide range of specialist services, especially when they are seeking planning approval.

“By working with Wildscapes as our ecology partner we hope to make the process even more straightforward in enabling them to meet their ecology and environmental requirements.”

Vicky Smith, the chief executive of Wildscapes, said: “We are really excited about this new agreement with Wilbourn Associates.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for us to raise our profile even further in our key market sectors and also to introduce new services in partnership with Wilbourn Associates.

“We expect this close association to have huge benefits for us and we are really looking forward to working closely with one of the leading companies in the environmental sector.”